SBS World News Radio

Today marks a major milestone in Australia's financial history – the 60th anniversary of decimal currency. It's been decades since Australians ditched pounds, shillings and pence for dollars and cents – in one of the largest transitions in the nation's history. And while the way we pay for things continues to change, the legacy of that moment endures.

Millions of people around the world will soon welcome in the Year of the Horse. A key part of Lunar New Year celebrations for many communities is lion dancing, which is said to bring good luck and prosperity into the new year. But it takes discipline to master the skill, as one group of dancers in Brisbane hopes to continue the traditional performance

Dumplings are popular dish for families celebrating Lunar New Year. In Melbourne, one restaurant is challenging tradition, with a make-your-own approach and a range of exotic flavours.

13 February is celebrated as World Radio Day. The day is designed to honour radio as a trusted and powerful form of communication. Today is also the 18th anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations. SBS NITV Radio's Kerri-Lee Barry has spoken to Charles Pakana from Victorian Aboriginal News, who says radio is a way to connect with each other as we share our histories and truth.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Cochlear CEO Dig Howett about the hearing implant maker's latest results, the link between hearing loss and dementia and the impact the higher Australian dollar will have on its earnings. Plus Mahjabeen Zaman from ANZ looks at the drivers of the surging currency and market implications.

Angus Taylor has seized the Liberal Party leadership in a decisive party room vote - 34 to 17 - ending Sussan Ley's nine-month tenure as the party's first female leader. Backed by new deputy Jane Hume, the Rhodes scholar and former Shadow Treasurer now faces the challenge of rebuilding a fractured base while navigating a political history marked by significant past controversies.

While the whiskers on a cat might be known to help them balance and detect their surroundings, scientists have discovered elephants have super whiskers too. Around 1,000 whiskers cover their trunks, giving them a sense of touch that compensates for their thick skin and poor eyesight. Researchers in Germany are now working to translate the elephant's sensitive touch to robotic science.

The United States' border chief has announced ICE agents will withdraw from Minnesota. This ends a two-month surge operation which resulted in two US citizens being killed by federal agents, and thousands of arrests. It follows mass protests in the state and across the country, as well as condemnation by Democratic Senators over the violent immigration crackdown.

A massive win for Japan's hawkish first female PM worries China, conservatives reclaim Thailand and Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong's most high-profile casualty of draconian security laws gets a ‘death sentence'. Plus, trouble growing at the winter Olympics.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with AMP CEO Alexis George following the financial services company's full-year results as she prepares to step down, including her advice to aspiring female leaders; plus Stephanie Youssef discusses the day's market action with market analyst Evan Lucas.

The federal government has released its latest report card on its Closing the Gap targets, which are meant to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians. The data shows just four of the 19 targets are on track. Anthony Albanese has used his annual closing the gap speech on Thursday to announce a $144 million boost to Indigenous health to upgrade more than 100 services in cities and regional areas. But some - like the incarceration rates of First Nations people - continue to worsen.

Former Shadow Minister for Defence Angus Taylor has triggered a formal leadership challenge against Sussan Ley, prompting a wave of coordinated frontbench resignations. The coalition is reeling from historic polling lows. While Mr Taylor campaigns for a "decisive" reset of the party's values, a loyal faction of Liberals is fighting to protect Ms Ley's position, arguing she deserves more time to stabilise the party room before Friday's high-stakes ballot.

The US Attorney-General has faced an onslaught of questions into the Department of Justice's handling of the more than 3 million files released related to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Survivors and critics are demanding transparency and justice for the more than one thousand victims identified, as Pam Bondi faced a Senate congressional hearing.

On Thursday, the four-booster Ariane 64 is scheduled to lift off from French Guiana on its maiden flight. This powerful version of the Ariane 6 rocket will carry 32 satellites for Amazon Leo's broadband constellation. At a time when the United States is seen as a potentially unreliable partner, this is a key milestone in Europe's effort to secure independent access to space.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Commonwealth Bank CEO Matt Comyn following the groups $5.45bn half- year cash profit announcement, including a deep dive into artificial technology and productivity; plus Luke Laretive from Seneca Financial Solutions takes a look at the day's market action.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has enjoyed a ceremonial welcome and a lunch with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra. President Herzog and his wife, Michal, were given a ceremonial 21-gun salute by the Federation Guard before attending a garden function at the Israeli embassy. His visit has been dogged by protests, with demonstrators saying he should not have been invited in the first place,

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and Australian Federal Police have been questioned about their actions before and after the Bondi terror attack, with Australia's top spy agency defending its failure to prevent it. During a senate estimates hearing late on Tuesday night, the AFP also warned it will take a more aggressive approach to tackling hate and extremism.

Public consultation has opened on a review into the management plan for the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia's largest river system. The announcement has come weeks after Environment Minister Murray Watt listed the lower Murray River region as critically endangered. Conservation groups have reacted cautiously, saying they hope the review leads to decisive action for a Basin that underpins public health, regional livelihoods, and cultural connection for millions.

Acute malnutrition has now reached famine levels in two more regions of North Darfur in Sudan, according to a new report from a UN-backed global hunger monitor.

A contentious hearing of the US House Committee on Homeland Security has exposed deep divisions over immigration enforcement following the death of two American citizens at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcrment, better known as ICE. While ICE officials framed the deaths as a result of officers facing increasing threats of harm, the argument was rejected with those holding the agency accountable, calling its tactics Gestapo-like.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Todd Hoare from LGT Wealth Management about the day's market moves including the increasing risks AI poses to certain industries, what's driving the Australian dollar, and the opportunities for investors.

The Federal Government has launched a landmark $218 million national plan to end violence against First Nations women and children. It marks the first long-term strategy designed and led entirely by Indigenous communities. While the policy targets specialised healing and emergency services in remote areas, community leaders warn that real change also requires confronting the systemic racism and high rates of violence perpetrated by non-Indigenous men.

The Jeffrey Epstein saga has continued to make headlines. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has come under new pressure to resign, amid an expanding scandal over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US despite ties to Epstein. The latest tranche of files relating to the convicted sex offender have also brought new scrutiny to former prince Andrew, with UK police assessing reports he sent sensitive information to Epstein. Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell has refused to testify before a US congressional committee.

Hong Kong's most vocal China critic, media tycoon Jimmy Lai, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, ending the city's largest national security case. Mr Lai's sentence on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one for publishing seditious materials ends a legal saga that has lasted nearly five years.

Primary Ethics is an independent, not-for-profit organisation and provides ethics classes for school students across New South Wales. Classes are impartially run by volunteers and the program has been implemented in hundreds of schools. Facilitator Feyza Tuncay became involved with Primary Ethics when she started volunteering as an ethics teacher at her son's school. She's speaking here to SBS News' Jennifer Scherer.

Dozens of people have been arrested after a demonstration against Israel's visiting president descended into chaos. New South Wales Police say 10 of the 27 people arrested on Monday night were taken into custody for assaulting police, while witnesses have alleged that some officers were seen beating and deploying pepper spray at attendees.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with George Boubouras from K2 Asset Management to find out why the market has been so volatile of late as he takes a closer look at how investors will be analysing AI investments during the upcoming reporting season.

A new opinion poll has support for the Coalition at a record low with Opposition Leader Sussan Ley the least popular leader in 23 years. The poll comes a day after she and Nationals leader David Littleproud brokered a deal to reunite the Liberal and National parties.

A Danish app born out of Donald Trump's Greenland rhetoric is turning everyday grocery shopping into a quiet act of protest. As shoppers scan products to see where their money really goes, technology, politics and consumer choice collide, revealing how global tensions can play out not in parliaments or protests, but in supermarket aisles.

Indigenous leaders and community members in Minneapolis have held a memorial honouring two people shot dead by immigration officers last month. As protests against the widespread immigration crackdown continue, Republicans and Democrats remain locked in a standoff over reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The debate in the Senate continues as the deadline for reaching a funding agreement for the Department of Homeland Security looms.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has won the country's election In a landslide victory, with her party expected to secure a more than two-thirds majority in the powerful lower house. Takaichi's government will push for greater defence spending, tougher immigration policies, and a stronger economy.

The rise of antibiotic resistance is threatening millions of lives worldwide, but “unconventional” Australian research could make obsolete medications effective again. Data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) has found that some of the most common illnesses in the world are becoming more resistant to treatment every year. Dr Maud Eijkenboom says the current approach of developing new antibiotics is losing the battle against ever-evolving viruses and bacteria. After her son struggled with a resistant disease, Dr Eijkenboom set on her own path to discover a better way eradicate the rising wave of lethal pathogens. In 2021, she founded Lixa, a Perth-based biotech company receiving international support for its “game-changing” research. In this edition of Weekend One on One, she speaks with SBS's Cameron Carr about the impact of her research, and started by explaining what Lixa is all about.

Growing speculation over a proposal to hand Australians' personal and biometric data to the United States is raising alarm among privacy and security experts. As other countries with visa-free arrangements with the U-S consider proposals to expand their data-sharing agreements, the Australian Government is yet to clarify if they're considering the move.

With the midterm elections due at the end of this year in the United States, Republicans and Democrats in some states are scrambling for an advantage. Republican President Donald Trump had hoped re-districting could help House Republicans hold on to their slim majority. But there are moves to introduce legislation that could also give the party an advantage, laws that the Democrats say are designed to shut out minority voters. And there are still election battles to be won in Texas - and Georgia.

The far northwestern city of Mildura is used to hot summers. But in January, the city and surrounds sweltered through an unusual heatwave, with temperatures breaking records throughout the region. SBS' Deborah Groarke spoke with the mayor of Mildura, Ali Cupper, on how the Council deals with hot weather, and its concerns around how worsening climate change patterns might affect its residents and agricultural economy.

Australia's average daily prison population is at its highest level in eight years. New data from the Productivity Commission has found more on average, around 45,000 people were locked up each day in the 2024-2025 financial year. Experts say the figures are a clear indication the system is failing.

University students in Australia, including more than 800,000 from overseas, are preparing for a new academic year. However, many from Iran are facing financial hardship while also grieving lives lost during recent protests.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has hailed a new security pact with Indonesia as a significant shift toward a closer defence partnership between the two countries. However, analysts warn the treaty may come at a high cost, potentially ignoring ongoing human rights issues in West Papua and concerns about the Indonesian government's future political direction.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Lochlan Halloway from Morningstar to go through all the factors that has triggered a sell-off on the sharemarket, including an ongoing technology sector rout, along with a look at the local reporting season; plus Peter McGuire from Trading.com looks at Bitcoin's sliding value.

The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under mounting pressure, following scrutiny over his decision to appoint friend of Jeffrey Epstein Peter Mandelson as the UK's US ambassador in 2024. The files released last week included emails appearing to show a close relationship between the former ambassador and Epstein, and suggested Mr Mandelson had shared government documents with Epstein while serving as a Cabinet Minister.

A second round of talks in Abu Dhabi between Ukraine, Russia and the United States have concluded without a peace deal, despite delegates citing progress towards reaching an end to the four-year war. Ukraine and Russia did exchange 310 prisoners of war in total, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signalled further meetings were being planned.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Ben Clark from TMS Private Wealth about the day's market action including a software sell-off in the US which is trickling to Australia, plus what the fall in the bitcoin price says about the economic and investment environment.

A psychiatrist who treated the Westfield Bondi Junction attacker has been referred for review by the coroner investigating the mass killing in 2024. New South Wales State Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan criticised the care of Joel Cauchi's former psychiatrist for failing to adequately respond to a schizophrenia relapse in the years before the mass stabbing, which saw six people killed and 10 injured. She has made 23 recommendations, including a call for the Health Ombudsman of Queensland to review the psychiatrist's care and treatment of Joel Cauchi.

A National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children is being established, a move hailed by advocates as a milestone for independent accountability in closing the gap for youth justice and welfare. However, critics like Senator Lidia Thorpe warn that without federal power to penalise states or compel compliance, the role risks becoming a matter of optics over tangible safety.

Democracy and the rules-based international order are under threat, according to the latest annual report by Human Rights Watch. There's a particular focus on the United States and what the international body describes as its erosion of human rights, but there is also a spotlight on Australia. Australia's immigration and youth detention policies are listed as 'significant failings', cited as the only Western democracy without a national human rights act.

Almost 99 per cent of Australians diagnosed with cancer incur out-of-pocket expenses, even when accessing public care. That's the shocking finding from the Cancer Council Australia's latest national survey, which suggests the financial burden arises from both direct medical costs and indirect expenses at every stage of the cancer journey. The cost of accessing care and treatment hits First Nations communities especially hard, with Indigenous Australians ultimately facing a higher mortality rate for blood cancer.

The US and Iran tussle over talks to stave off more strikes, millions more Epstein documents touch the rich and powerful the world over from Elon Musk to the Norwegian princess-royal and more trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi don't stop the destruction across Ukraine. Plus, US democracy in danger and what we learned when Melania Trump's doco hit the cinemas…

For many in Australia's south-east, the day after Australia Day brought sweltering conditions and record temperatures. In Mildura, in Victoria's far northwest, the mercury hit 48.6 Celsius. And when coastal areas enjoyed a reprieve, the inland still had to cope with an extended heatwave that lasted a week. Experts say these kinds of phenomena are going to intensify over time because of the impacts of climate change - but while there has been plenty of coverage of how that impacts on urban centres, regional Australia has not received the same attention. SBS visited Mildura to see how the region felt the heat, and what they're doing to cope with climate change at a local level.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Shane Oliver from AMP to figure out the real drivers of inflation; plus Damien Boey from Wilson Asset Management about the day's sharemarket action including a software shares sell-off.

Victoria Police are investigating the display of posters across Melbourne that depict the alleged Bondi gunman Naveed Akram. About 40 have appeared. featuring the image of the accused shooter and the word Aussie beneath his face. They were put together in the style of artist Peter Drew's 'Aussie' series of street art.

Following the latest interest rate rise, the Federal Government is facing renewed pressure from unions and economists to reform the 50 per cent Capital Gains Tax ((CGT)) discount, which critics label a "tax avoidance scheme" favouring the wealthiest Australians. While the Treasurer maintains a focus on housing supply, proponents of the reform argue that winding back these concessions could reclaim $20 billion in annual revenue and ease the cost-of-living crisis for the nation's workforce.